Alabama Crimson Tide football is tradition rich with a number of great coaches over the years, and has produced the top football players to ever come out of college football, not one of them can compare to one coach who changed the face of college sports forever, and that is Paul "Bear" Bryant.
BEAR BRYANT
Bear Bryant started his career at Alabama as a football player in 1931. He was only 1934 national championship play end. Brian always joked that he was the "other end" that played for "mamma". The other end was the legendary NFL Hall of Famer, Don Hudson. Even bear Bryant's college playing days, he showed mental toughness and playing the 1935 game against Tennessee with a broken leg.
As a head football coach, Paul Bryant went through several college jobs such as the University of Maryland, University of Kentucky, and Texas A&M University before he finally had the opportunity to return to his alma mater, Alabama. So motivated was Paul Bryant, that he famously was quoted as saying, "Mama called. And when Mama calls, you just have to come runnin'."
It was the year 1958 that Bryant became head coach of Bama, and began leading it to its previous Rose Bowl-style glory but achieved even to greater heights. Coaching renowned players like Pat Trammell, Big John Hannah, Snake Stabler, Joe Namath, Lee Roy Jordan, Billy Neighbors, Bob Baumhower, Johnny Musso,, and many others.
Overall, Bear Bryant was a exceptional motivator and knew how to make his players to do what he needed them to do. Florida A&M coach, Jake Gaither said of Bear Bryant, "He can take his'n and beat you'n, and he can take your'n and beat his'n." The inspiration wasn't just on the turf, the motivation passed into the world as well by the character he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who founded the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for troubled kids in Springville, Alabama.
The last year that he coached Alabama, 1982, was a down year for Alabama and Bear couldn't see himself coaching Alabama into mediocrity. He always said that if he give up coaching that he "wouldn't last a week." In reality, he didn't last a lot longer than that, only 37 days. On January 26, 1983, Bryant collapsed and died of a heart attack at age 69 and many attended his funeral. Public officials projected that in the range of a half-million to a million people were lined along the 53 mile stretch from Tuscaloosa to the burial ground in Birmingham that was mere blocks from Legion Field.
The Legendary Man Changed Alabama and The World
Bear's heritage lives in the players that are now growing older and the fans that hark back to his championship spirit. Not only that... He helped shatter segregation in the South's football universe, and in doing so, helped turn the Alabama around from narrow-mindedness to admiration. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place than he left left.. He ain't never been nothing but a winner. Roll Tide!
BEAR BRYANT
Bear Bryant started his career at Alabama as a football player in 1931. He was only 1934 national championship play end. Brian always joked that he was the "other end" that played for "mamma". The other end was the legendary NFL Hall of Famer, Don Hudson. Even bear Bryant's college playing days, he showed mental toughness and playing the 1935 game against Tennessee with a broken leg.
As a head football coach, Paul Bryant went through several college jobs such as the University of Maryland, University of Kentucky, and Texas A&M University before he finally had the opportunity to return to his alma mater, Alabama. So motivated was Paul Bryant, that he famously was quoted as saying, "Mama called. And when Mama calls, you just have to come runnin'."
It was the year 1958 that Bryant became head coach of Bama, and began leading it to its previous Rose Bowl-style glory but achieved even to greater heights. Coaching renowned players like Pat Trammell, Big John Hannah, Snake Stabler, Joe Namath, Lee Roy Jordan, Billy Neighbors, Bob Baumhower, Johnny Musso,, and many others.
Overall, Bear Bryant was a exceptional motivator and knew how to make his players to do what he needed them to do. Florida A&M coach, Jake Gaither said of Bear Bryant, "He can take his'n and beat you'n, and he can take your'n and beat his'n." The inspiration wasn't just on the turf, the motivation passed into the world as well by the character he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who founded the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for troubled kids in Springville, Alabama.
The last year that he coached Alabama, 1982, was a down year for Alabama and Bear couldn't see himself coaching Alabama into mediocrity. He always said that if he give up coaching that he "wouldn't last a week." In reality, he didn't last a lot longer than that, only 37 days. On January 26, 1983, Bryant collapsed and died of a heart attack at age 69 and many attended his funeral. Public officials projected that in the range of a half-million to a million people were lined along the 53 mile stretch from Tuscaloosa to the burial ground in Birmingham that was mere blocks from Legion Field.
The Legendary Man Changed Alabama and The World
Bear's heritage lives in the players that are now growing older and the fans that hark back to his championship spirit. Not only that... He helped shatter segregation in the South's football universe, and in doing so, helped turn the Alabama around from narrow-mindedness to admiration. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place than he left left.. He ain't never been nothing but a winner. Roll Tide!
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